Author Archives: transparencyforeastdevon

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

3 Sep 2014

Posted under

Cranbrook, EDDC, Environment (local), Flooding, Local Plan, NPPF

Comments

2 Comments

Community Infrastructure Levy – what’s bigger than an omnishambles?

Megashambles? Nuclearshambles? Whatever it is, we have it.

Take a look at this letter from EDDC to the Planning Inspector:

Click to access lettertoinspector290814cil.pdf

The Planning Inspector, when he threw out the draft Local Plan also threw out EDDC’s attempt at setting a Community Infrastructure Levy. Useless figures in the draft Local Plan meant no confidence could be placed in the figures for CIL.

If you are a councillor, how can you hold your head up in public and admit that this has been allowed to happen on your watch – bearing in mind that the Act that brought in the need to set a Levy came into being in 2008:

“The Planning Act 2008 provides a wide definition of the infrastructure which can be funded by the levy, including transport, flood defences, schools, hospitals, and other health and social care facilities. This definition allows the levy to be used to fund a very broad range of facilities such as play areas, parks and green spaces, cultural and sports facilities, district heating schemes and police stations and other community safety facilities. This gives local communities flexibility to choose what infrastructure they need to deliver their development plan.”

Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/6313/1897278.pdf

So, now S106 payments have been tightened up to exclude those payments that should be covered by CIL, our developers get a double bonus: build anywhere and don’t pay for the infrastructure that the development should have – such as flood defences, for example. No levy, no obligation.

And what does ” further assessment in respect of Cranbrook and its future development” mean?

Do local people really grasp what a terrible mess we are in?

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

3 Sep 2014

Posted under

EDDC

Exmouth Mayor accepts ice-bucket charity challenge – EDDC’s Leader appears to have ducked a ducking

http://www.exeterexpressandecho.co.uk/Mayor-Exmouth-tackle-ice-bucket-challenge/story-22869891-detail/story.html

Perhaps everything is so hunky-dorey in the (un?)Democratic People’s (well, some people’s) Republic (? dictatorship) of East Devon we don’t need charity events.

Next time you see yet another EDDC “kissing babies” or “smiling handshake with very minor celebrity” photo-op remember that!

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

3 Sep 2014

Posted under

Misc

250,000 working people in South West want to work extra hours

Well, maybe not “want to” but “need to so they can make ends meet”.

http://www.westernmorningnews.co.uk/250-000-South-West-seeking-extra-work/story-22869695-detail/story.html

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

3 Sep 2014

Posted under

Democracy, EDDC

Comments

4 Comments

Happy Talkie, Talkie, Happy Talk …. talk about things you like to do ….

… for those old enough to recall the musical “South Pacific” was a relentlessly upbeat song.

So is EDDC’s Annual Review of its past year included as an appendix to this month’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee documents here

Click to access 110914_osagenda_combined.pdf

where no bad news is allowed and where we see a district full of happy, smiling people, not unlike those in Kim Jong Un’s North Korea where, according to the Leader, the grain stores are full to teeming yet the populace eats weeds.

Leaving aside the “small” point of why it is on the agenda at all when already published and subject to a glowing press release (again, press releases only glow at EDDC, they never perspire or, heaven forfend, sweat) does this publication contravene these rules for “lack of objectivity and even-handedness”:

http://localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=19719:dclg-warns-seven-councils-over-compliance-with-publicity-code&catid=59&Itemid=27

Now, mentioning that little “problem” and the disgraced ex-councillor Graham Brown debacle AND the draft local plan omnishambles AND the missing 6,000 East Devon voters AND the discussions last year on restrictions on public speaking AND the Feniton “situation” WOULD be objective and even handed so we’ve given you a head start there!

Oh, and PS: no word on the East Devon Business Forum Task and Finish Group on this agenda either.

EDDC: where only good news is allowed.

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

3 Sep 2014

Posted under

EDDC, Voting

Comments

2 Comments

The missing 6,000 voters, part 5,990

Finally, after being alluded to in July 2014 EDDC is advertising for house to house canvassers to visit households not yet on the electoral roll. Interviews on 15 September 2014 so not in place till October 2014 when most councils have had them working for months.

We were promised 10 posts; wonder how many will be recruited?

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

2 Sep 2014

Posted under

Austerity cuts, EDDC, Environment (local), Sidmouth/ Sidford/ Sidbury

Comments

5 Comments

Pickles changing national policies on parking

But will it be enough for Sidmouth residents now facing a 330% increase in their parking charges?

http://localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=19805:residents-and-businesses-to-be-able-to-force-councils-to-review-parking-restrictions&catid=64&Itemid=32

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

2 Sep 2014

Posted under

EDDC, Environment (local), Honiton/ Gittisham

Comments

1 Comment

Houses in Gittisham: any chance of EDDC getting it right?

Don’ hold your breath – they’ve made a dog’s dinner of it the last couple of times. How have they managed to get it so wrong? A question for the Chairman of the Development Management Committee …..

http://www.exeterexpressandecho.co.uk/300-homes-fields-Honiton-Gittisham-backed/story-22864075-detail/story.html

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

2 Sep 2014

Posted under

Austerity cuts, DCC, EDDC

Comments

4 Comments

Cornwall Council tries to devolve services (but not cash) to town and parish councils

It isn’t a “saving” when Cornwall Council doesn’t pay, leaving the parishes to do it. Towns and parishes don’t have some of the necessary backup (admin services, health and safety officers, machinery for cutting verges,etc) so it might actually lead to increases in parish precepts which will be added to council taxes anyway.

But, the County Council will be able to claim ITS savings so that’s ok isn’t it:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-29010865

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

2 Sep 2014

Posted under

Environment (local)

Betjeman revived

Written by Mike Temple after viewing the Betjeman tv programme where places Betjeman loved were revisited:

​John Betjeman, we need you now;
​The country soon will be like Slough;
​There’ll be no grass to graze a cow –
​All built upon.

​The Planning Law and Councils feed
​The hungry mouths of builders’ greed –
​And they don’t build for social need –
​It’s all a “con”.

​But let us all join hand in hand
​From Axe to Tweed and make a stand
​To save our green and pleasant land –
​With your help, John.

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

2 Sep 2014

Posted under

Democracy, EDDC

Paul Diviani fails to take up ice-bucket challenge

Well, so far. Challenged by Independent Councillor Claire Wright who was herself challenged by Independent Councillor Susie Bond. Independent councillors more hardy perhaps? Or better humoured?

We await either his reason for not taking up this charity challenge or a photograph of him taking the plunge – not to mention wondering who he might nominate to take it up next!

AND it does work for the charities:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-29013707

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

1 Sep 2014

Posted under

Democracy

Billionaire extols protest as part of the democratic process

“Well the protester I think is a very powerful thing. It’s basically a mechanism of democracy that, along with capitalism, scientific innovation, those things have built the modern world. And it’s wonderful that the new tools have empowered that protestor so that state secrets, bad developments are not hidden anymore.”

Bill Gates, founder, Microsoft

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

1 Sep 2014

Posted under

Affordable and Social Housing, Democracy

Homes and Democracy

“Conservative Home” website has published its idea of a new 10 point Manifesto for the party. The first and last points make interesting reading:

(1) Ownership first – Britain doesn’t just need more homes, it also needs better, more affordable homes. A building boom that sucks in cheap money looking for a quick return will not deliver affordability. We must therefore freeze out the property speculators with an ownership first condition on the development of new housing. Councils would be given the power to reserve the sale of new homes to those intending to live in them.

and the final one is:

(10) Direct Democracy, including internet voting – Merely electing our MPs and councillors every four or five years and hoping for the best is not good enough. There should be a genuine right of recall. Work should begin on the introduction of electronic voting. The passing of a referendum bill should be made a non-negotiable condition for Conservative participation in any future Coalition Government.

Source:

http://www.conservativehome.com/highlights/2014/08/conservativehome-manifesto-introdution-homes-jobs-savings-rebuilding-the-foundations-of-a-growing-and-prosperous-mass-middle-class.html

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

31 Aug 2014

Posted under

Democracy, EDDC, Knowle/Honiton/Exmouth relocation, Skypark

Knowle sale and relocation – Equalities Act 2010 – Equality Impact Assessment

Knowle relocation – has EDDC shown that it has complied with its Public Equality Duty – Equalities Act 2010? Has anyone seen an impact assessment? if not, could it be the subject of judicial review (aling with lack of consultation)?

“Members’ attention was drawn to the Equality Impact Assessment and Decision Making report within the agenda papers. This report highlighted the key points of a recently published Devon County Council report, which had been the subject of a judicial review. The report also stressed the importance of the Public Equality Duty, how that duty should be exercised and how decisions might be challenged and the possible impact if they were. The Committee noted that the Council had put a number of measures in place to ensure that decisions were not subject to judicial review under the Equality Act 2010. When making decisions leading to changes to policy or services the Council needed to demonstrate that active consideration had been given to the impact assessment. Most of the judgements against councils were made where it was evident that the decision makers had not genuinely considered equalities’ impacts in their decision-making.”

Source: http://www.eastdevon.gov.uk/osc_mins_270214.pdf
(Overview and Scrutiny Committee Minutes 27 February 2014)

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

30 Aug 2014

Posted under

EDDC, Local Plan, Sidmouth/ Sidford/ Sidbury

Comments

1 Comment

Officer “naked amidst the rubble” of EDDC’s Local Plan?

Some thoughts sent to EDA from a local correspondent:

‘Information gradually drips from EDDC regarding the Local Plan and the details of the Strategic Housing Market Assessment ( SHMA ). It seems that the SHMA is recommending a more modest housing allocation for East Devon. Many commentators at the time of the Local Plan Panel advocated lower housing numbers, as did EDDC’s consultants. Those commentators appear to have been vindicated by the draft recommendations of the SHMA.

Whilst, everyone told EDDC at the Local Plan Panel that their housing provision was excessive, particular opprobrium was directed at the employment land allocation, which all agreed was absurdly high. And, of course, based in part upon hopelessly miscalculated commuting numbers, and the inexplicable exclusion from the employment numbers of the Inter Modal Freight Facility, since purchased by Sainsburys.

We are now told, bizarrely, that EDDC is arguing for an increase in the SHMA housing allocation to reflect the huge employment land allocations that they have made. Workers will have to be housed. Previously they argued the reverse: that a huge employment allocation was necessary to employ the workforce generated by their housing numbers! An absurdly spiralling argument that will only serve to devastate the countryside of East Devon, and place enormous strain upon our infrastructure and services.

Clearly, the whole edifice of the Plan has collapsed, and Matt Dickins is standing naked amidst the rubble.

The solution is obvious: the employment allocation within the Plan has to be substantially reduced. This can be easily achieved by incorporating the Sainsburys site into the calculations, and by correcting the commuting errors. Such a move would transform the Plan, making sense of the housing numbers, and providing a way forward that would be acceptable to all sides.

In particular, this would ensure the removal of the highly controversial Sidford allocation, which has attracted more opposition than any other component of the Plan.

The need to remove Sidford from the Plan is greater than ever, given the warped logic with which EDDC has responded to the SHMA. If more housing is needed to ‘feed’ the District’s employment sites, then Sidmouth is threatened with a big increase in its housing allocation. After all, we have only 70 unemployed, and Sidford is intended to accommodate 1400 jobs. Where are the workers to be housed? ‘

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

29 Aug 2014

Posted under

EDDC, Local Plan

Comments

1 Comment

EDCC finally updates the Planning Inspector on draft Local Plan “progress”

“ …. a delay in production. This is principally due to the collective belief of the five SHMA authorities that the full objective assessment of need isn’t yet fully evidenced. Officers of the commissioning authorities have agreed what needs to be done and are in the process of quickly confirming this with the consultants.”

So there you are – 3 months after the last letter where Mr Thickett said he anticipated reconvening his examination in October/November 2014 they have “agreed what needs to be done” and will, eventually, talk to (that dreaded word) consultants. But summer 2015 (after the next local elections) is now the contemplated date for adoption IF ALL GOES WELL – hmm.

Let’s just pray that the cinsultant isn’t in bed with (sorry, embedded) at EDDC!

And, meantime, development just about everywhere continues …. no change there.

Click to access lettertomrthickett-220814.pdf